The ongoing agitation all over the country against the Supreme Court judgement which is being seen as dilution of The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act seems to have united the Dalit community across India. However, in Karnataka, the current social and political dynamics in the community presents a different picture.
The Dalit community is divided, like any other caste group. Congress has always seen itself as their champion and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s AHINDA (Kannada acronym for minorities, backwards and minorities) politics had inspired many welfare schemes for the community.
Did Congress miscalculate?
While Congress is betting big on the AHINDA factor to win the May 12 Assembly election, observers of Dalit politics say the community could upset their calculations.The caste census conducted by Siddaramaiah government, which is yet to be made public, reportedly puts Dalit community as the single largest caste grouping with total SC/ST population of about 1.50 crore, which constitutes about 25% of the state population. But no party can afford to believe that they will vote en masse for it.
According to former state BSP president B Gopal, the Dalit community is highly vulnerable. The system of local political strongmen dictating terms to Dalit voters still persists in many parts of the state. There are leaders cutting across party lines and local agents who can decide the loyalty of Dalit voters. They operate as mediators between voters and political parties.
Dalits are divided broadly into Holeyas, the right-wing faction, and Madigas, the left-wing who have dealt with the worst caste atrocities. There is a range of many sub castes -- more than a hundred -- between the two.“Discontent is brewing in the left faction, over what they see as cornering of various welfare programmes by the right-wing and relatively better off sub-castes. This rift is widening,” says Venkataswamy, president of Karnataka Samata Sainika Dal, speaking to The New Indian Express.
Siddaramaiah in a fix
The agitation led by Madiga community for implementation of Justice AJ Sadashiva Commission report, which recommended internal reservation for Madigas within SC quota, has put Siddaramaiah government in a fix. The Chief Minister has put the issue on the back burner by deferring a decision and referring it for a closer study by a Cabinet sub-committee.
“The left faction is veering towards BJP. A considerable chunk of the Dalit community is also unhappy with the Congress for the way the party has failed to fulfill their aspirations to see a Dalit Chief Minister in the state, despite having a veteran leader like Mallikarjun Kharge,” says Venkataswamy.The JD(S) tie-up with Mayawati’s BSP may also cause a dent in the Dalit vote bank of Congress, says Venkataswamy.
According to Karnataka State SC/ST Employees Federation President D Shivashankar, a reconciliation effort is on between right and left factions of the community. However, he agrees that the Madiga agitation and Mayawati factor would definitely cause a dent in Dalit vote bank of Congress.
Fault lines
The JD(S) tie-up with Mayawati’s BSP will also cause a dent in Dalit vote bank of Congress
Agitation of Madiga (Left wing) community for implementation of the recommendations of the Justice AJ Sadashiva Commission report that recommends internal reservation for Madigas within SC quota has put the Siddaramaiah government in a fix
